1. Field of the Invention
Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate to stucco accessories.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of stucco wall claddings in the construction industry is well known. However, excessive water can infiltrate stucco walls through typical cracks and separations at accessories, causing mold growth and other problems. Furthermore, performance expectations of stucco walls have increased over the years, and new building materials present new problems. Materials such as Douglas fir, paper-faced sheathing and fully insulated wall cavities promote mold growth with only minimal water infiltration. The transition to energy efficient buildings has also provided less opportunity for moisture to evaporate from the exterior claddings, thus exacerbating the conditions for mold growth. Past stucco accessories and expansion joints have not successfully solved the mold growth problem due to water infiltration and a lack of drainage capabilities.
Expansion joint devices have been used in stucco walls to protect against cracking or other problems due to movement of the different wall sections. In general, these devices allow a certain amount of movement between adjacent sections of stucco wall. Previous devices have not allowed enough movement which usually causes the joint to break and lose any water protection capabilities.
Another problem with stucco wall claddings is that there is often misalignment from floor line to floor line. This misalignment makes it difficult to install expansion joints without the time consuming task of installing shims to align the joint. With past stucco expansion joints, alignment by using shims was very important in order to protect against water infiltration and also for esthetic reasons. Previous expansion joints have not provided any way to be properly aligned with out the use of shims or other difficult measures.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,015,194 discloses an expansion joint used in stucco walls. However, it does not provide any means of protection against water infiltration or drainage. It also does not disclose any way of aligning the joint without shims. Similarly, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,176 is also an expansion joint which does not provide sufficient water protection or any means for drainage. Neither does it provide means for aligning the joint without shims.
The expansion joint in U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,601 also discloses a type of control screed for plaster walls. However, it does not provide any way for water within the stucco assembly to drain out. The disclosed screed locks in the water within the stucco which can be detrimental to the stucco or plaster and also promotes mold growth. The disclosed screed does not provide any means for its use in an uneven joint without the costly use of shims. Further, any seal against water is ineffective because there is nothing forcing the ground screed on the two pieces to contact each other in order to form a seal. The movement in such a joint is also very limited due to the relatively short inserted portion and groove.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,559 is an expansion joint device which allows some movement between the stucco wall sections; however, it does not provide enough movement. Often, the wall sections move such that the tongue releases from the groove and then the joint breaks and there is no seal for water protection. Also, the seal is not durable and often breaks or loses its sealing capacity. Another problem is that the joint material is stiff and provides no means for aligning the joint when the surfaces are uneven.